Diamond League cancels Paris, Eugene meetings due to coronavirus

Announcing further alterations to its provisional 2020 calendar due to the ongoing coronavirus crisis, the Diamond League on Friday said that meetings in Paris and Eugene will not take place this year while the event in Gateshead has been postponed. The Meeting de Paris, provisionally scheduled for September 6, will not take place this season. Following the latest government announcements on the organisation of major events in France, meeting organisers concluded that there is not enough time to organise a world-class international event in the French capital this year.

The Paris' Diamond League meeting will return in August 2021, at a time when it is "able once again to mobilise volunteers and welcome international stars". In Eugene, the 2020 Prefontaine Classic has also been cancelled. The state of Oregon currently has a ban on large gatherings -- including sporting events -- and that restriction will be in place until at least the end of September.

"The ban, combined with the expected long term restrictions on international travel, makes it impossible to host a world-class track & field meet in front of the Hayward Field faithful on October 4. The Prefontaine Classic is to return in 2021 and provide the opportunity for the University of Oregon to properly introduce the new Hayward Field to track and field fans around the world," the statement read. Discussions are still ongoing in relation to the Muller Grand Prix Gateshead which is no longer scheduled for August 16. The Diamond League said September 12 has been identified as a possible alternative date, however, final confirmation cannot be given at this time due to UK Government guidelines and restrictions.

The Diamond League said that "calendar remains provisional and subject to further changes" due to the ongoing global health situation and ever-changing regulations. The 2020 Diamond League will not be a structured series of events leading to a final as is usually the case. Athletes will therefore not earn Diamond League points this season, and there will not be a single, 24-discipline final in Zurich as originally planned. (ANI)

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